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HASP FASTBNER. l No. 563,434. Patented July 7,1896.

M r f f l l '"1 `I `Il 1 zessesx UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. VEBB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE lVYOKOFF, SEAMANS fr BENEDIOT, OF SAME PLACE.

HAS P-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,434, dated July 7, 1896. Application filed May 3, 1893. Serial No. 472,847. (No model.)

To all whom. t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. W'EBB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastening Oontrivances, dto., of which the following is a specication.

Type-writing machines are usually mounted or fitted upon a base-board and provided with a cover of tin or wood to protect the niachine when not in use. The cover is generally provided with a lock orseries of fastening devices and with a handle, so that the machine may be inclosed and moved or carried about from place to place; but as heretofore constructed these fastening devices have been objectionable and unsatisfactory.

My invention has for its main object to provide a stronger, safer, and otherwise better construction of fastening device, and to these ends consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cover embodying my improvements,the same being shown attached tothe base-board of a type-writing machine, which latter is indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the fastening detached. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the fastening with a portion of the cover and the base-board added. Fig. 4is a back elevation of the part of the fastening which is attached to the cover, and Fig. 5 is an elevation of the part of the fastening which is attached to the base-board.

In the several views the same part will be found designated by the same numeral of reference.

1 is the cover, which may be made of tin, wood, or other material, and 2 the base-board or rest upon which the type-writing machine '3 is mounted or fitted.

On each side of the cover and about centrally thereof is arranged a catchlplate 4,

which is hinged upon a cross-pin 5, supported in ears 6, extending out from a base-plate 7, which is riveted or otherwise firmly secured to the side of the cover.

Near the lower end of the plate 4, and centrally longitudinally thereof, is formed an vopening S to receive the beveled or tapering head 9 of a catch-pin 10, which is preferably threaded at 11 and screwed into the baseboard, but the devicemay be otherwise attached to the base-board.

Above the opening 8, on each side of the line thereof, is pivoted at 12 a lever or catch 6o 13, which at its upper end extends outward past the edge of the supporting-plate4 and is formed or provided with a thumb or finger piece 14. The two catches or levers 13 on the plate 4 are made alike, and each-is provided above its pivot with a notch 15 to receive one branch or leg of a duplex spring 16, which is connected to the plate 4 in line with the opening 3 by a rivet or stud 17. The spring 16 operates to vibrate the upper ends of the levers 13 in opposite directions and the lower ends thereof toward each other.

Immediately over the opening 8 and between the parts 13 is provided a stop 18, which is formed, preferably, by cutting a tongue out of the metal of the plate 4 and bending it backward between the levers 13. The stop 1S serves to limit the motion of the lower ends ofthe levers toward each other, and hence .to maintain them always in the proper relationship to the hole S, which relationship is indicated at Figs; 2 and 4. The catch-pin is provided on each side with a notch 19 to receive the lower inner edge portion of the lever 13, which overlaps the hole 8.

In the use of the contrivance the cover is placed over the machine, as shown, and the hinged plates 4 are swung inwardly to cause the catch-levers to engage the catch-pins on the base-board. In this movement, when the lower ends of the levers contact with the beveled or tapering ends of the pins, they are spread apart, against the tension of their springs, and on arriving at the notches are zo site directions.

automatically snapped into them, by the expansion of the springs, and the cover is thus firmly secured to the base-board.

When it may be desired to remove the 5 cover, the upper, protruding ends of the 1o its hinge and the devices carried thereby entirely disconnected from the base-board.

I prefer to use the two catch-levers 13 for greater safety, although one such lever will serve to lock the plate to the pin. If, how- 15 ever, only one lever be employed, it may be accidentally struck or pressed at its upper end and thus permit a separation of the parts, while with the two levers arranged as shown both must simultaneously act and from oppo Since this mode of action could scarcely ever occur by accident, there is practically no liability of casual separation of the devices, and hence the contrivance is especially well adapted for the purpose for which it has been designed.

It will be understood, of course, that the formed by the notches, hold the catch-plates levers, in conjunction with the shoulders 20, against outward or hinging movement, and

3o ethat when the machine is being carried the catch-plates pull on the heads of the pins, which protrude through the holes in the catchplates.

At the front the cover may be provided with a hasp 2l, to engage an eye 22, for the use of a padlock.

I have found 'in practice that only two of my catches, one on each side ol' the cover, are necessary, as against four of the old ones.

The covers may of course be of any desired shape or construction, according to the make and design of type-writing machine.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a catch-pin tapering on the end and notched on opposite sides, a hinged plate provided with a hole, a pair of spring-actuated pivoted catch-levers pivoted on said plate above the hole and having their lower ends separated, and arranged to overlap the side edges of the hole, and adapted to be automatically spread apart by the tapering end of said catch-pin and then to automatically en gage the notches in the catchpin when the hinged plate is swung inwardly and the catch-pin passes through the hole therein; substantially as described.

2. 'lhe combination of a catch-pin having a body portion, notched sides, and a tapering' head, a hinged plate having a hole to encompass said body portion and enable the plate to bear and be pulled thereagainst, a pair of independently-pivoted catch-levers on said plate having one set of their ends arranged to overlap the sides of said hole, and the other set of their ends formed or provided with linger-pieces extending beyond the sides of said plate, a spring for forcing the locking ends of said levers toward each other, and stops for limiting this action of the spring; substantially as described.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 26th day of April, A. D. 1893.

GEO. B. lVEBB.A lVit-nesses:

JACOB FELBEL, Joli-IN BECK. 

